THEATRE ON PARK

Theatre on Park was a small, independent theater in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded by Ralph Petillo following several high-profile theatrical events he directed with me doing visual effects.

The theater was in a small streetside storefront. It was unique in that the backstage was the pedestrian sidewalk. When it rained, which it did frequently, actors stood outside under umbrellas.

The "Ghost Light" which I drew for the theater's logo and painted as a mural if a reference to the theatrical practice of leaving a light onstage as a safety precaution.

I created artwork for the playbills, Standing Room Only, and worked with one of the actors to sell ads.

It's Gonna Happen is an original play depicting the creation of the theater. The illustration depicts Ralph Petillo, his partner and actor Bill Griffith in costume for Godspell, and my hand painting the Ghostlight Mural.

For the many Standing Room Only playbills, I would read the play and design the artwork based on my interpretation of the script. Money was tight and on occasion I was actually paid in director's chairs which were used for balcony seating.

I also did frequent posters; some were hand-printed silkscreens and some, commercially printed.

Standing Room Only, Theatre on Park Playbill

Theater on Park Posters

The Godspell poster was special because it was a hand-printed silkscreen. It was an important play for the theater and we pulled out all the stops promoting it.

Other posters (as well as playbill art) were done as pen and ink drawings which were printed commercially.

The Arthur Miller poster promoted a performance of a medley of scenes from his plays. The 4th season is a combination of characters from upcoming plays.

Annie Russell Theater

Because of my success doing playbills for Theatre on Park, the Annie Russell Theatre on the Rollins College campus in Winter Park, Florida invited me to do a playbill for their summer season.

This playbill covers three plays, The Mikado, On Golden Pond, and The Bat. The challenge was to come up with one illustration that showcased all three plays.